Fidel, brother remain out of sight

HAVANA: Speculation grew over Fidel Castro's health following surgery as both the communist leader and his replacement and brother Raul Castro remain out of sight while security quietly tightens around the country.

Besides a perceptible mobilisation of police in Havana and at the country's exit points, Communist Party activists and rapid response brigades were also on alert, as Cubans pondered the fate of their leader of nearly five decades after he underwent gastrointestinal surgery.

A top official said on Wednesday that Fidel Castro, 79, remained very alert following his operation, and continued to closely follow domestic and international affairs.

But neither he nor his brother Raul, whom he named as his temporary replacement on Monday, appeared in public, stoking concerns over the country's future.

National Assembly Speaker Ricardo Alarcon told US-based Pacifica Radio's 'Democracy Now' show that he had spoken on Monday and on Tuesday with Fidel.

"Of course, he is forced to have a period of rest. He underwent complicated surgery," said Alarcon. "But he is very alive and very alert as always, very interested in what's going on around him and around the world," he said.

Castro's absence from public view has fueled speculation that he might be gravely ill, if not already dead.Juanita Castro Ruz, Castro's sister living in exile in Miami, told NBC television that a Cuban source informed her that her ailing brother had been released from intensive care and was "now waiting to see what happens."